With support from major industrial partners, Cornell University has opened a state-of-the-art laboratory for the design and testing of radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits, such as the transceivers in cellular phones and other wireless devices.

The Cornell Broadband Communications Research Laboratory (CBCRL) will be used to train next generation RF engineers and conduct research in the design of future broadband communication systems. CBCRL, housed in Phillips Hall on the Cornell engineering quad, will include a file server and 25 high-performance RS-6000 workstations valued at $750,000, made possible through an IBM Shared University Research Grant. Elsewhere in Phillips, students and researchers will have the use of a Model 84000 production quality RF integrated circuit test system donated by Agilent Technologies, valued at $1 million, and an RF/microwave 8-inch semiautomatic Model 12101 wafer probe station, valued at $200,000, from Cascade Microtech.

The IBM workstations will run advanced chip-design software donated by Cadence Design Systems Inc. The Cadence donation provides licenses for an extensive suite of design tools to run on up to 50 workstations. If sold to industry, such licenses would be valued at approximately $100 million, the company said.

IBM also will provide design kits for its state-of-the-art silicon-germanium technology. These design tools, developed in IBM's Research and Microelectronics Divisions, are of multi-million dollar value, according to IBM.

"This is the equipment they will use on the production floor," said Kevin Kornegay, Cornell associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, director of CBCRL and organizer of the industrial partnership. "This unique industry/academia partnership addresses a critical need – a major shortage of well-trained RF circuit designers, particularly in the northeast U.S. region." "IBM has a tradition of collaborating with leading schools worldwide, and in the long run that interaction benefits our customers and the technology industry at large," said Nick Donofrio, IBM senior vice president for technology and manufacturing. "We're particularly excited about this program because IBM is a leader in developing powerful new technologies for the booming communications market. It's a privilege to be able to train and nurture a whole new generation of technologists in this important field."

"With the great need of design engineers in the electronics industry today, the university's highly reputed program and Cadence products go hand-in-hand to provide the needed talent for the future," said Ray Bingham, president and CEO at Cadence. "We are very pleased and excited that our products will be used at the CBCRL and that graduates will have the opportunity to gain experience with Cadence tools."

Kornegay initially will use the laboratory to teach a new hands-on course in RF integrated circuit design. The course will target the new Bluetooth standard, an industry standard that allows cell phones, computers, personal digital assistants and other appliances to communicate with one another. "With Bluetooth devices," Kornegay said, "you'll be able to have your cell phone call your computer and have it start the coffee maker." Students enrolled in the course will use the comprehensive set of Cadence design software tools to create a circuit, simulate its operation and produce the final chip layout.

The design work will take up the fall semester of the course. Chips designed by the students will be manufactured over semester break. In the spring, students will test and evaluate their chips, deliver oral presentations and produce written reports to further enhance their technical communication skills.

Kornegay also will use the new facilities for research in wireless communications system design. The goal, he said, is to reduce size and power requirements by more ingenious system architecture and circuit design. One approach, he said, is incorporating "smart circuits" into key components to minimize power consumption. While Bluetooth devices operate in the 2.4 GHz range, Kornegay plans to develop new devices for applications in the 10 to 20 GHz range.

About IBM Corp.

IBM Corp. is the world's largest information technology provider, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. The company had 1999 revenues of $87 billion, employs more than 300,000 people and does business in more than 160 countries. For more information about IBM, please visit http://www.ibm.com . About Cadence Design Systems Inc.

Cadence Design Systems Inc. is the largest supplier of electronic design automation products, methodology services and design services used to accelerate and manage the design of semiconductors, computer systems, networking and telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics and a variety of other electronics-based products. With approximately 5,100 employees and 1999 annual revenue of $1.1 billion, Cadence has sales offices, design centers and research centers around the world. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CDN. For more information, visit http://www.cadence.com .

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. is a diversified technology company with approximately 46,000 employees serving customers in more than 120 countries. Agilent is a global leader in designing and manufacturing test, measurement and monitoring instruments, systems and solutions, and semiconductor and optical components. In fiscal year 1999, Agilent had net revenue of more than $8.3 billion. The company serves markets that include communications, electronics, life sciences and health care. Information about Agilent Technologies can be found on the Web at http://www.agilent.com .

About Cascade Microtech Inc.

Cascade Microtech's on-wafer test systems and production probe cards are the catalyst for many of the semiconductor industry's leading-edge products that support the new Internet economy. Founded in 1983, Cascade Microtech supplies on-wafer test systems used in integrated circuit (IC) research and development. These complete systems include automatic, semiautomatic and manual probe stations, probes or probe cards, test software, calibration standards and accessories. Agilent Technologies holds a minority equity position in Cascade. This partnership has resulted in a seamless integration of Agilent test equipment with Cascade's probing systems.